Corridor standards

The San Jacinto Texas Historic District Corridor Standards are structured to be a tool to assist in the design, construction, and maintenance of culturally relevant, sustainable, and restorative landscapes, public amenities and furnishings, and other features throughout the District. This standards document includes a succinct set of design elements and best practices that cover planting/vegetation, pavement, lighting, and site amenities. Public and private landowners can turn to these standards to select specific vegetation and furnishings that will help maintain a consistent ‘look and feel’ throughout the Historic District.

How to use this Guide

The Corridor Standards are articulated in the three components of the document mentioned in the overview: Design Scenarios, Design Elements, and Best Practices. A user of this document can look at the Scenarios to see an example of the application of these standards in a similar context. For example, if one is designing a community main street enhancement, they can look at the Main Streets scenario for an idea of how Design Elements can be integrated into a Main Street design concept. The user can look to the Design Elements to see the list of proposed materials and elements, and choose those that are relevant for that particular project. The user can also refer to the Best Practices for a particular element to better understand how to best integrate the elements, and what benefits they offer.

This chapter presents conceptual Design Scenarios appropriate for a variety of corridor conditions found throughout the San Jacinto Texas Historic District including freeways, farm to market roads, local roads, main streets, community gateways, and Project Stars sites. The graphics are intended to illustrate the application of the Design Elements (Chapter 3) and Best Practices (Chapter 4) to typical scenarios, including their spatial arrangement and orientation.

Design Elements refer to materials, amenities, and details that re flect local spirit, culture, history, and character. This section includes recommendations for various elements covered by the standards including pavements, plantings, and street furnishings that are intended to emulate the natural and cultural character of Texas and the Historic District. As such, Design Elements should incorporate characteristics from the surrounding District context (form, color, materials, natural history, texture, and pattern) in the design and location of these Design Elements across the landscape.